Detachable wing tip tank



Feb. 18, 1947. M. H. LERCHE DETACHABLE WING TIP TANK Filed March 22, 1944 s Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 18, 1947. M. H. LERCHE DETACHABLE WING TIP 'I ANK 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 22, 1944 I MHLarZZ? FFW Feb. 18, 1947. LERCHE 2,416,104

-DETACHABLE WING TIP TANK FiledMarch 22, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Z G W Patented Feb. 18; 1947 STATES PATENT OFFICE DETACHABLE WINGTIPT'ANK Myron Lerche, Hilbert, Wis: ApplicationMarchfiz, 1944; Serial Nee/27 ,560

2 :Claims.

This invention relates to means which will enable aircraft to carry a heavier load further'than ex sting planes and yet be able to return to base quicker, being especiall'y. useful for military purposes as a bombing plane.

It isespecially aimed to provide a'structure of plane wherein the wing-or wings have tanks at'th'e' tips thereof to carry fuel to be initially used on th cruise and before using the normal fuel supply, the wing tanks affording more wing. area and the additional-fuel providingf for a greater cruising range.

It is also aimed to provide such wing-tip tanks as "are readily releasable and detachable so that after the wing-tip tanks are =empty'andan-emer gency. arises and more speed'is desired, such tanks may be released "to .becom'e detached from the plane, the plane being thenv able to-travel on its normal fuel supply;

A further object is to provide novel means whereby the wing-tip tankor tanks are securely attached'to the tips-of the wings and are'readily releasable from the cockpit of the'plane. v

The more specific objects and advantages will become apparent-from a consideration 'of the description'following taken in connection withac companying drawings illustrating. an operative embodiment.-

In said drawings- Figure 1 is a front elevation of r aircraft equipped with my improvement, the detachment of'theWing-tip tanks bein suggested in dotted lines;

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan viewof one of the wing-tip-tanks and adjacent portion of -a wing towhich it'is attached; r I

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a detail section taken on the line 44 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a detail section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a detail section taken on the line 66 of Figure 3;

Figure 7 is a detail of a releasing lever and associated parts; a t

Figure 8 is a detail section taken on the line 88 of Figure 2; and

Figure 9 is a section taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 5.

Referring specifically to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like or similar parts, a representative or conventional aircraft is shown at [0. Whether a'monoplane, biplane or regardless of the number of planes, any one plane shown are indicated at H.

the-"associated Wing'i l I i wing which -isdirectly engageable by'the tank,

has a-pr-actical shape; beingforinstance rounded asiat I3 and appropriately reinforced. The 'tank' [2 hasean end wall I4which is concave'and intimatel'y conforms to the shape of the wall l3I-- The" tank I2 is made of anysuitable materialand may be provided withan external skin l5. i Th tanks l2 are adapted to contain a supply of hydrocarbon fuel and to'this endhave a fill ing' opening normally 1 covered by a a removable.

closure I6.

It is 1to:be understood that the supply 50f fuel in the supplemental or wing-tip tanks I2 is-ad ditional' orisupplemental' to the normal fueling system and atanks'of the aircraft i0;

befirst :used in operating the motors of theair tions" are I made in any desired manner whereby the :fuel from either or all of thetanksi2is appropriately connected. to supply; the motors *of v the aircraft :lfl under valved control. 7 v The tanks l 2 constitute extensions of the wings:

I l and they are detachably connected to the latter in a suitable manner. wall M and projecting therefrom are one or more hooks or lugs l9 which are detachably entered in socket members 20 fastened to the Wall 13 and having sockets 2|, which receive the lugs l9 and whichopen through such walls l3. any desired number of latch bars or elements 22 are mova'ble in openings in' the walls i3 and M for ooaction with keepers 23 located interiorly of the tank. Such latch elements 22 are preferably beveled or cut away at one corner as at 24 to facilitate the entry thereof into the keepers.

Preferably three of the latch elements 22 may be used although no limitation is to be implied. These elements are slidably mounted and guided in blocks 25 fastened at 26 within the wings ll, Such elements 22 are entered in slots 21 of the In vflight, however; the fuel'fromthe tank 12 is adapted to For instance,-along the In addition,

blocks 25 and they travel on friction-reducing cranks34 attached to shafts 35 disposed at a right angle to the latch elements 22 and beneaththe same and journaled in suitable bearings within the wings I I. Each of, the latch elements 22 has rack teeth 31 enmeshed'withapin ion 38 keyed to the adjacent shaft 35. ,Such latch elements are held in latched position through the contractile action of coil springs 39 attached to the crank 34 and to guides 40 opposed to the keepers 23. Such guidesdil are carried by the wings I I and may have balls or rollers II therein, engaged by the latch elements for movement of the latter with minimum friction. I i As will best be seen from Figure 6, the conduits I7 and IB'are in sections carried one by the wing and one by the tank I2. Such sections may be joined by flexible hose or rigid hose as at 42 in liquid-tight relation to the tank I2. The hose is at, least separable and readily detachable by pulling out of the openings 43 in the 'wall I3 under the, weight of a released tank I2, and will also readily pull off of the sections of conduits I1. and I8 within the wings H. Wires may be wound around the tubes 42 to provide better joints between the. latter and the sections of the conduits I7 and I8. These wires will not, however, interfere with ready separation of the tanks from the wings. 4 I It will be understoodthat in operation, the aircraft is operated initially on the flight with fuel taken'from the wing-tip or supplemental tanks I2, arid thereafter is operative from its usual ornormal source of supply. The construction enables the plane to carry a greater load, for'instance, a greater load of bombs, farther than existing planes, and at the same time will enable the plane to return quicker or faster, The wing release:through the operation of the lever 30 to the end that the element 33 will'rockshaft 35 so that the pinions' 38 will retract the latch ele ments 22 and enable the wing-tip or auxiliary tachable wing tips of hollow construction defin- 4 tanks I2 to fall off. ofand be completely detached from the plane. Under these circumstances, the plane continues to operate on its normal supply of fuel which is held in reserve as far as practical.

Various changes maybe resorted to provided they fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention: 1

[1.In' an aircraft including a fuselage and lateral wings, said wingsbeing provided with d tachable wing tips of hollow construction defining fuel tanks, fuel conduit means between the wing tips and the fuselage and means for readily detaching the tips from the wings proper, said means consisting of upper sockets in the ends of the wings proper having curved recesses, curved hooks on the adjacent ends of the tip sections, and lower slide-bolts carried by the outer ends of the wings proper, said wing' sections being provided with sockets for receiving said bolts.

:2. In an aircraftincluding a fuselage and lat-' eral wings, said wings being provided with deing fuel tanks, fuel conduit means between the wing tips and the fuselage and means for readily detaching the tips from the wings proper, said means consisting of upper sockets in the ends of the wings proper having curved recesses, curved hooks on the adjacent, ends of the ti sections, and lower slide-bolts carried by the outer ends of the wings proper, said wing'sections being provided withsockets for receiving said bolts, each of said wings proper having ablock therein 'pro-. vided with a slideway in which the adjacent end of the corresponding bolt is slideable and a removable slide plate on the block covering one end of the said slideway.

MYRON H. LERCHE.

REFERENCES CITED The following referencesare of record in the file of this patent: V

' UNITED STATES PATENTS 

